Counting down the top 10 quarters of 2019

[Number8]

Readers might remember that my wife and I bought a water rower as our Christmas present.

In order to make the half-hour workouts more bearable, I've been cueing up 2019 games on Kayo to take my mind off the hard slog.

This list is the result. Over the past eight weeks, these are the quarters I keep coming back to.

In the lead-up to the first pre-season game on Sunday week, I will detail my top 10 quarters of last season.

I will post the first one in a few minutes and the remainder across the course of today.

NB: There were a couple of quarters unlucky to miss the list. Once all 10 are listed, let me know if you agree with the contents and the order!

Apologies in advance for the length of each report. Tend to get a bit carried away when we play well.

10. 1st quarter vs Collingwood, round 19
9. 1st quarter vs Gold Coast, round 16
8. 4th quarter vs Port Adelaide, round 4
7. 3rd quarter vs GWS, grand final
6. 1st quarter vs Carlton, round 1
5. 4th quarter vs WCE, round 22
4. 2nd quarter vs WCE, round 22
3. 2nd quarter vs GWS, grand final
2. 3rd quarter vs Brisbane, qualifying final
1. 3rd quarter vs Geelong, preliminary final

 

[Number8]

10. 1st quarter vs Collingwood, round 19

The scoreline
5.4 to 1.2

The highlight
With 1’30” left on the clock, a hurried kick forward by Pendlebury falls into Mihocek’s area. Dylan Grimes dumps him as he snaps off his left boot, skewing the ball into the waiting arms of Nathan Broad who quickly hands off to Jayden Short, thus beginning a wonderful chain of possession around the Members’ wing that includes a super kick from Bachar Houli to Jack Riewoldt and a great ground ball get by Tom Lynch to snag his second goal of the quarter. Given the conditions, it was an exceptional sequence of high-skilled footy.


The lowlight
Midway through the first quarter, Trent Cotchin, in his 150th game as skipper (putting him third on our all-time list of games captained) walks off yet with another hamstring problem. His first half of the quarter was outstanding.


Watch for...
The ruck duels. Ivan Soldo held Grundy (often literally) and totally neutralised the effect of the Collingwood playmaker through brute strength and great positioning. One is a Category B rookie and the other is a $7m man. Hmm. While Mabior Chol occasionally struggled in the hit outs during the quarter against Cox, he did some excellent things when the ball hit the deck. I reckon the coaching staff would have placed great store in Soldo’s ability to match it with Grundy on this night. From this point forward, it was hard to see the big Croatian being dropped.


Summary
We didn’t know it then but this was a must-win game in the Tigers’ quest for the top four. Simply, if we’d lost any game on the run home from the bye, we would likely have missed out on the double chance, with the premiership path made all the more difficult. On this cold and wet night we needn’t have worried, as the boys made a ballistic launch out of the blocks to effectively have the game in hand by the quarter time break.

The skills from both sides were exceptionally good in the wet first quarter, with the Tigers favouring forward handball and the Pies opting to kick more often. Most noticeable was Collingwood’s appalling structure forward of the ball, where midfielders on several occasions had to move the ball laterally because their inside 50 targets were non-existent. Compare that with Richmond’s clear objective to keep Tom Lynch at the top of the goal square, with Sydney Stack, Shai Bolton and Jason Castagna nearby to mop up the crumbs, and it was super clear why the Tigers were brutally efficient with their forward 50 entries.

Forward structure is a big problem at Collingwood and something they need to significantly improve in 2020. On this night, the contrast between a functioning and a non-functioning forward line couldn’t have been more stark.

 

[Number8]

9. 1st quarter vs Gold Coast, round 16

The scoreline
9.2 to 2.1


The highlight
It seems Jason Castagna likes travelling to Queensland, where somehow his goal kicking boot finds its radar. His first quarter was outstanding, kicking 3.1 from four I50 marks. He ended the game with five goals and 10 marks.


The lowlight
Could this have been the game where the coaches stamped K-Mac’s papers for season 2019? His first quarter was error-ridden, with a couple OOFs and other poor decisions. Perhaps it was simply an off day but Kaps looked uncharacteristically laconic and his performance stood in stark contrast to the rest of his teammates.


Watch for...
The defensive pressure. Wow. In a game that was won within the first five minutes, the desire to keep the Suns under the pump was a sign of a team no longer content to scratch out 2-3 goal wins. Watch in particular for the incredible pressure on the Suns’ ball carriers that resulted in what seemed like a world record number of smothers.


Summary
Yeah, so maybe the Suns were the easy-beats of 2019 (did the Demons just say “hold my beer”?) but away from home this was a clinical performance that arguably helped build the confidence of our boys for their flag tilt.

It was an interesting game in that the Tigers took in a structure that looked very much like the 2017 set up, and it was probably the one game of the year where I thought we played a noticeably 2017 brand of footy: running in waves, hard tackling, tall forwards bringing the ball to ground and a mosquito fleet of runners baffling backmen and carving holes in the defensive set up.

Structure-wise, there was no Riewoldt (and notably no tall in his place, leaving Lynch as the lone key forward) and no Nank (leaving Soldo to ruck one-out against Witts). Sydney Stack and Shai Bolton were constant threats forward of the ball while the captain’s contested ball work was outstanding, Bachar Houli’s run off half back gave us tremendous drive and Dion Prestia enjoyed his return to Carrara.

The result of the game was a percentage boost of an astonishing 8%, from 95% to 103%. That doesn’t normally happen in round 16…

 

[Number8]

8. 4th quarter vs Port Adelaide, round 4

The scoreline
4.1 to 3.2


The highlight
How do you split Kamdyn McIntosh’s marvellous left-foot goal to put the Tigers in front with four minutes to go and Liam Baker’s exocet-like 60metre dart to Tom Lynch, whose 50metre bomb with 45seconds left iced the game? Let’s give the points to K-Mac, given he was tucked in the pocket under tremendous pressure and isn’t renowned for his finishing. His three goals for our depleted line up were crucial in the final analysis.


The lowlight
I reckon the Tigers have recently gotten a raw deal from umpires when it comes to Brownlow votes. Time and again in 2019, opposition players won votes in games their teams lost. Now, that’s OK. But when it’s at the expense of a genuine match winner on our side, something needs to be said.

I thought Brandon Ellis played his best game for the year this night. The AFL’s website agreed, nominating him as BOG. Same with The Age. But Tom Rockliff’s 37-possession game that earned him two Brownlow votes shows that it’s the stats that matter, not the sum of the contribution. Half of Rocky’s possies were dinky handballs to little effect. In contrast, Ellis worked tirelessly up and down the ground, went at nearly 100% efficiency and even slipped forward to kick a clutch goal. But, Mr Ellis, no votes for you!

Remarkably, on a cold and dewy night for footy, not even Tom Lynch’s 6.2 could beat Rocky in the Brownlow stakes.


Watch for...
Josh Caddy’s incredibly smart knock-on to Liam Baker in the final minute that set the little man into space on the wing and able to set up a perfectly-positioned Lynch for the sealer. Caddy is a very, very thoughtful footballer and sets a tremendous standard for his teammates with his one-percenters.


Summary
This was, officially, The Game We Weren’t Meant To Win. And yet, with no Riewoldt, Cotchin, Martin or Rance, and travelling to one of the more hostile environments in the league, the boys held their nerve to jag a critical win.

The last quarter is actually a ding-dong battle and, to be fair to Port, they were fielding their own fair share of highly promising youngsters (Drew, Rozee, Duursma, Butters). It’s just that ours were better on the night, as we saw Baker, Stack, Noah Balta and Jack Ross (on debut) all make valuable contributions.

In the end, Tom Lynch was the difference in what was probably the first game he won off his own boot in Tigers colours. Dylan Grimes was tremendous in the final quarter, taking four contested intercept marks to announce that he could comfortably fill The Rance Role. The performance earned Grimes the three Brownlow votes.

 

[mainlandy]

8. 4th quarter vs Port Adelaide, round 4

The scoreline
4.1 to 3.2


The highlight
How do you split Kamdyn McIntosh’s marvellous left-foot goal to put the Tigers in front with four minutes to go and Liam Baker’s exocet-like 60metre dart to Tom Lynch, whose 50metre bomb with 45seconds left iced the game? Let’s give the points to K-Mac, given he was tucked in the pocket under tremendous pressure and isn’t renowned for his finishing. His three goals for our depleted line up were crucial in the final analysis.


The lowlight
I reckon the Tigers have recently gotten a raw deal from umpires when it comes to Brownlow votes. Time and again in 2019, opposition players won votes in games their teams lost. Now, that’s OK. But when it’s at the expense of a genuine match winner on our side, something needs to be said.

I thought Brandon Ellis played his best game for the year this night. The AFL’s website agreed, nominating him as BOG. Same with The Age. But Tom Rockliff’s 37-possession game that earned him two Brownlow votes shows that it’s the stats that matter, not the sum of the contribution. Half of Rocky’s possies were dinky handballs to little effect. In contrast, Ellis worked tirelessly up and down the ground, went at nearly 100% efficiency and even slipped forward to kick a clutch goal. But, Mr Ellis, no votes for you!

Remarkably, on a cold and dewy night for footy, not even Tom Lynch’s 6.2 could beat Rocky in the Brownlow stakes.


Watch for...
Josh Caddy’s incredibly smart knock-on to Liam Baker in the final minute that set the little man into space on the wing and able to set up a perfectly-positioned Lynch for the sealer. Caddy is a very, very thoughtful footballer and sets a tremendous standard for his teammates with his one-percenters.


Summary
This was, officially, The Game We Weren’t Meant To Win. And yet, with no Riewoldt, Cotchin, Martin or Rance, and travelling to one of the more hostile environments in the league, the boys held their nerve to jag a critical win.

The last quarter is actually a ding-dong battle and, to be fair to Port, they were fielding their own fair share of highly promising youngsters (Drew, Rozee, Duursma, Butters). It’s just that ours were better on the night, as we saw Baker, Stack, Noah Balta and Jack Ross (on debut) all make valuable contributions.

In the end, Tom Lynch was the difference in what was probably the first game he won off his own boot in Tigers colours. Dylan Grimes was tremendous in the final quarter, taking four contested intercept marks to announce that he could comfortably fill The Rance Role. The performance earned Grimes the three Brownlow votes.

Joyous reading No8

 

[Number8]

7. 3rd quarter vs GWS, grand final

The scoreline
5.4 to 1.1


The highlight
How could you go past Dustin Martin’s selfless act that led to Marlion’s Pickett’s first goal in AFL footy on the biggest stage of all? Let’s also not forget it was a cleverly positioned kick from Pickett to Dusty that was a crucial part of the lead-up play. Honourable mention: Mummy thinking he had Pickett lined up as he took that kick, only to accidentally split Sam Reid in half with a mistimed shirtfront.


The lowlight
Inaccuracy. This hasn’t been much of an issue in recent seasons as the Tigers have generally managed to find ways to kick goals from straightforward positions (while also making sure oppositions often have to shoot from acute angles or long distances). But across this 30 minutes, 5 goals 4 behinds with another couple of OOFs meant GWS remained in the game (barely) long after they should have been well and truly put away.


Watch for...
Jason Castagna was electric in the third term, and a great contributor the whole day. It seems he was given the licence to run and carry, and his outstanding speed off the mark is on full show here. Several times, Castagna seems to almost run directly at defenders in full knowledge his dexterity and side step will get him around any obstacle. Such a wonderful player to watch and key to creating the chaos and unpredictability that makes Richmond’s method of play so difficult to unpick.


Summary
Part way through the third quarter and the celebrations in the crowd were underway. Much like the Gold Coast game, where the Tigers were relentless for 120 minutes, it seemed impossible that the Giants could find a way to get back in the game.

The first five minutes of the premiership quarter were owned by the Tigers, with the combination of a brilliantly positioned defence, incredible pressure on the opposition ball carrier and some dreadfully sloppy skills from the Giants meaning repeat entry after entry into the F50.

A truly horrible kick by Jeremy Cameron that led to an intercept followed by a brilliant snap by Dusty from deep in the pocket was probably the moment everyone realised the Giants were totally off their tucker and on their way to a complete mauling. So disinterested were GWS by this point, the Tigers found ridiculous amounts of space on the Members' wing to launch attack after attack.

 

[Number8]

6. 1st quarter vs Carlton, round 1

The scoreline
5.4 to 0.1


The highlight
Tom Lynch says hello to his new fans at Tigerland with a contested clunk and deadly accurate set shot within three minutes of the game starting. The noise!


The lowlight
After an uncharacteristically fumbly first quarter, Alex Rance does his ACL (in the third quarter), possibly to never play the game again.


Watch for...
Jack Higgins. His first quarter performance is a timely reminder for anyone who has forgotten just how important and creative this guy is. Interesting to note how different our small forward set up looked on this night compared with how it finished up: ultimately no Higgins, Butler or Weller. Also missing at the pointy end were Noah Balta (a very promising game on debut), Jack Graham, Kamdyn McIntosh and, of course, Rance.


Summary
I was lucky enough to be invited to a corporate box for the season opener, hosted by a diehard Blues fan. To say the atmosphere was sober at quarter time, despite the free-flowing drinks, would be an understatement.

A huge crowd on a lovely evening for footy welcomed in the new season, one in which the Blues were consistently tipped to improve. By quarter time their ambitions were in tatters as the Tigers used the corridor with precision and creativity to build a match winning lead for an eighth consecutive win against the pretenders from Princes Park.

That said, the Blues started with a head full of steam and it was notable that the Tigers sought to move the ball more slowly than they typically would, absorbing the early pressure before easing into our standard method: chaos, speed, excitement, off the line handball… and a lot of shots at goal.

Across the quarter, the Blues didn't have too much trouble getting the ball inside 50. Problem was, they had an awful lot of trouble getting it inside 40 or closer. I reckon this could be one of those coaching metrics we never really hear about. Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes and a seemingly possessed Bachar Houli, who was everywhere this quarter, were outstanding in repelling what were fairly limp and thoughtless forward forays by Carlton.

 

[Baloo]

Thanks #8. I'll be loading these into the phone for some variety. Can only watch the 3rd Qtr of the 2019 Prelim so many times...

 

[Number8]

5. 4th quarter vs WCE, round 22

The scoreline
5.2 to 4.1


The highlight
From a pure footy perspective, two excellent teams going blow-for-blow in the final moments of an important game, with the result only decided by a Jack Riewoldt snap from the top drawer. The one-percenters by both teams in this wet and muddy game are often only noticed after multiple viewings.


The lowlight
Umpiring that doesn’t have a feel for the conditions. The men in green were just too whistle-happy on the day, finding technical free kicks that really shouldn’t have been paid given the conditions. A game that at times lacked flow due to rain and pressure surely didn’t need more stoppages. A horrible free kick to Willie Rioli half way through the term that got the Eagles back on track was a case in point. It was matched by an equally poor decision against Tom Barrass for Tom Lynch to kick his second moments later. Let the game go, umpire!!! And the less said about the “studs up” calls against Jack Riewoldt, the better!


Watch for...
A set of catastrophic defensive errors by West Coast, which spoke volumes to the pressure the Tigers were putting on their opponents but is also an issue the Eagles need to address. Barrass, Nelson and even Hurn made some deadset clangers on the last line that led either indirectly or directly to goals.


Summary
Riley Beveridge on afl.com.au called it the game of the season and there were few who would disagree. Free flowing at times, hard and contested at others, this one had it all, including the cliffhanger finish with the Tigers finally getting in front only to see the Eagles fight back like a good team.

Interestingly, the Eagles flopped in Perth the week after, not only going down to Hawthorn but losing their spot in the top four and probably any realistic chance of being back to back premiers. Suffice to say, the Eagles gave their all in this epic game and probably paid the price with a lacklustre performance seven days later.

From a Tiger perspective, it was great to see we had the poise to not just reel in a large deficit but to eke out a vital win in a close match. Note that it was only in the early minutes of this final quarter that we finally hit the front.

It’s easy to forget that going into this game, the Eagles were 8 points and percentage ahead of us. By the end of round 23, we’d nabbed their spot in the top four. Massive result in the end.

 

[zippadeee]

Pumping collingwood was a highlight
Lowlight...Allowing them cheap goals in the 3rd and 4th qtrs shouldve been a 60+ point win

 

[year of the tiger]

Can I guess that the 3rd qtr prelim against the cats comes in second and the 4th qtr grannie comes in first just because we won the GRAND FINAL - can you believe it.

 

[Number8]

4. 2nd quarter vs WCE, round 22

The scoreline
3.4 to 1.1


The highlight
Simply being able to wrest back control of a game that was fast looking like a matter of the Eagles by “how far?”. And despite the selective memory of media scribes, it wasn’t because the rain started falling; conditions were, in fact, dry until moments before half time. The Tigers had taken the Eagles’ best blows and set about working their way back into the contest with poise and growing belief.


The lowlight
Opportunities to score goals were burned by Lynch, Bolton, Ellis, Prestia, Graham and Riewoldt, which put a dampener on this period of dominance.

But the real lowlight was a disappointing umpiring call against Ivan Soldo, who took a great mark at the top of the goal square only for it to be called “touched” when it was clearly only Soldo’s hands on the ball. Coming just before half time, a goal at that point would have franked what was already a fantastic comeback quarter of footy.


Watch for...
Shai Bolton does some incredible things on a footy field. His “slice and dice” (according to Dwayne Russell on the commentary) at the top of the goal square around five minutes into the quarter is worth watching over and over. It’s four-and-a-half seconds of pure magic. The moment he kicks for goal, five (count them) West Coast defenders are flat footed wondering what sort of voodoo they have just witnessed.


Summary
Though the fourth quarter of this epic was incredible, this one was the best quarter of the game from a Tiger perspective. After being torched early by an impressive West Coast, who led by 24 points at the quarter time break, the boys gradually pegged back the deficit starting with a second quarter that at least halted the visitors’ momentum then turned things in our favour.

The rain came just before half time and the Tigers would have gone into the long break knowing they were up to their eyeballs in this one, having owned possession and field position to get the game back on our terms.

 

[Number8]

3. 2nd quarter vs GWS, grand final

The scoreline
5.2 to 0.4


The highlight
Marlion Pickett’s blind turn was an insane piece of play that probably fooled Lachie Whitfield because it seemed ridiculous a League player would contemplate pulling such a move. It was made that much better by the excellent Jason Castagna mark, but the resulting kick unfortunately wasn’t just reward for a sensational piece of lead-up play.


The lowlight
Really hard to find one but I reckon the coaches would have been a little disappointed that Dion Prestia was blanketed in this term by Matt de Boer. The meatball dominated in quarter one but couldn’t shake the tag to have anything like a similar influence in this term.

Honourable mention to our own Richo in commentary for this pearl: BT asks, “What are you feeling, Richo? Do you feel like the Tigers are getting on top and are gunna bust this wide open shortly?” Richo replies, “Ah, no, I feel like the Giants have had a good little patch here, BT”. At that point it’s 35 to 11 and the Giants wouldn't score another goal for quite some time, only bagging two more majors for the match. No great analyst of the game is our Richo!


Watch for...
The pressure. The tackles. The smothers. The bumps and the body checks. Just about every time a Giant gets the ball they are under the pump. The pressure rating for the quarter must have been off the scale. As a result, the Giants overuse the ball time and again, inviting even more pressure.


Summary
The Tigers stamped their authority on the biggest game of the year with one of the most clinical big-game performances in recent memory. While the third quarter put the game beyond doubt, it was the second quarter where the Tigers broke the Giants.

Whether it was Lachie Whitfield choosing to kick on his non-preferred side to protect his post-op pain or Jack Riewoldt running a lame Phil Davis a merry dance, the Giants were showed up to be physically shot. It’s interesting to contemplate the effect this had on their teammates, who played as though they knew the game was up.

The actual play lacked some of the fluency the Tigers had displayed this season. Instead, in its place was hard, nose-to-the-grindstone premiership footy. While the Giants got a few looks at the goals through Daniels, Himmelberg and de Boer, none were super easy shots, which was a hallmark of our season.

 

[Number8]

2. 3rd quarter vs Brisbane, qualifying final

The scoreline
7.1 to 2.4


The highlight
Dayne Zorko being overwhelmed by his three opponents, Edwards, Cotchin and Graham. So useless was the big talking Zorko that Fagan sent him forward, where he only served to prove that he ain’t no Dustin Martin, with an ineffectual display that showed little fortitude and even less leadership. A wake up call for this arrogant blowhard.


The lowlight
Opposition coaches hate red time goals, partly because they hand momentum to the team that scores them. The late goal to Allen Christensen was sloppy, especially as we had the ball in a kick-out situation with around 40seconds on the clock. To see it come back in and for Christensen to mark unattended would have infuriated the Richmond coaches.


Watch for...
The contrast in game styles. All quarter, the Lions seek to run the ball conservatively along the outer wing, while the Tigers play a diametrically opposite game, bunting the ball forward with fast handball — and often down the guts. Eric Hipwood’s centre-square turnover that resulted in a brilliant Shane Edwards intercept and ultimately Josh Caddy’s long bomb goal broke Lion hearts, as they reverted to a model of ball security virtually unseen from them all season, and were completely overrun as a consequence.


Summary
If there was ever a quarter of football that cemented a reputation, it was this one. Shane Edwards’ third term was possibly his finest in a decorated career, and it was executed on the big stage of an away final. Sheds was simply everywhere with intercepts, contested possessions, deft handball and even a trademark shank midway through the quarter!

But this was a whole team effort and simply beautiful to watch on replay. Dusty was unstoppable out of the goal square, first beating Adams and then Hodge to snaffle three majors; Grimes and Houli were both brave and impassable down back; Caddy made every touch count; and the midfield dominance was complete with Prestia, Graham, Cotchin and Edwards running rampant. The Lions were simply unable to go with us.

The Tiger juggernaut had hit full throttle with only a preliminary final now between us and a crack at a second flag in three years.

 

[Number8]

1. 3rd quarter vs Geelong, preliminary final

The scoreline
5.2 to 1.1


The highlight
As tempting as it is to mention the stoney face of the opposition coach watching on helplessly while the Tigers quickly gobbled up his team’s half time lead, that would sound petty when there were so many outstanding moments in this incredible quarter.

It was the captain who set the tone with a crunching tackle on Rhys Stanley at the opening bounce, setting up Caddy to flick the ball off to Prestia, whose bullet-like pass to Lynch was the work of a craftsman at the top of his game. (Does anyone still think Dion’s kicking is questionable? Really?)

With Lynch nailing the goal, one of the great passages of the season was completed, and you had the sense that just 60seconds into the third term, the Tigers suddenly believed.


The lowlight
The Tigers left their poorest piece of play until the final seconds of the term with a disorganised defence allowing Lachie Henderson to mark virtually uncontested, resulting in a goal on the three-quarter time siren. Could it be argued, however, that this blemish galvanised the team to ensure the job was finished in the final quarter?


Watch for...
Three Geelong defenders attempting to spoil Jack Riewoldt at the top of the goal square, only for him to out-leap and outsmart them all with a deft knock on to an inexplicably unmanned Dustin Martin, who waltzed into goal. Despite going unrecognised by a Channel 7 commentary team that was asleep at the wheel, it was surely one of the great plays of the season. When Jack’s career ends, this should be one of the first highlights played on his showreel. Selfless footy executed with intelligence and precision. With acts like this, it’s no wonder our club had no equal in 2019.


Summary
Every hero needs its nemesis. In the Cats, the Tigers have an adversary that somehow has the ability to amplify the feelings of triumph.

Why does it feel so good to beat Geelong just now? Is it the pompous post-match behaviour of their salty coach? Perhaps the sickening strut of their puffed up (albeit prodigiously talented) ruck rover? Maybe it’s their entitled supporter set? The absurd dimensions of their home ground and the advantage they possess there? Could it be a lingering distaste over the success Brad Ottens enjoyed with them, and our stuffing up of the picks we received for him? Perhaps it’s all of the above?

Against that psychological backdrop, this breathtaking quarter of Tiger footy delivers the kind of warm inner glow of salvation and redemption that is hard to explain, but at times makes following footy the most glorious of pastimes.

Any momentum the Cats took into half time was washed away in a tide of Tigerish tenacity, with the template set by that inspirational Trent Cotchin tackle moments after the first bounce. Shortly afterwards, Jack Riewoldt delivered his own “hand of God” moment to put Dusty into space on the goal line. When Dion Prestia drove the ball forward to an outnumbered Tom Lynch, who not only drew a holding free kick but marked the bloody thing anyway, the Tigers hit the front — never to be headed again — as a surge of yellow and black doggedness overwhelmed the Cats.

At three quarter time, it was hard to imagine any other side had the tools to conquer the Tigers in 2019… and so it proved to be.

 

[spook]

Great stuff, DiscoPup.

 

[zgod]

8. 4th quarter vs Port Adelaide, round 4

The scoreline
4.1 to 3.2


The highlight
How do you split Kamdyn McIntosh’s marvellous left-foot goal to put the Tigers in front with four minutes to go and Liam Baker’s exocet-like 60metre dart to Tom Lynch, whose 50metre bomb with 45seconds left iced the game? Let’s give the points to K-Mac, given he was tucked in the pocket under tremendous pressure and isn’t renowned for his finishing. His three goals for our depleted line up were crucial in the final analysis.


The lowlight
I reckon the Tigers have recently gotten a raw deal from umpires when it comes to Brownlow votes. Time and again in 2019, opposition players won votes in games their teams lost. Now, that’s OK. But when it’s at the expense of a genuine match winner on our side, something needs to be said.

I thought Brandon Ellis played his best game for the year this night. The AFL’s website agreed, nominating him as BOG. Same with The Age. But Tom Rockliff’s 37-possession game that earned him two Brownlow votes shows that it’s the stats that matter, not the sum of the contribution. Half of Rocky’s possies were dinky handballs to little effect. In contrast, Ellis worked tirelessly up and down the ground, went at nearly 100% efficiency and even slipped forward to kick a clutch goal. But, Mr Ellis, no votes for you!

Remarkably, on a cold and dewy night for footy, not even Tom Lynch’s 6.2 could beat Rocky in the Brownlow stakes.


Watch for...
Josh Caddy’s incredibly smart knock-on to Liam Baker in the final minute that set the little man into space on the wing and able to set up a perfectly-positioned Lynch for the sealer. Caddy is a very, very thoughtful footballer and sets a tremendous standard for his teammates with his one-percenters.


Summary
This was, officially, The Game We Weren’t Meant To Win. And yet, with no Riewoldt, Cotchin, Martin or Rance, and travelling to one of the more hostile environments in the league, the boys held their nerve to jag a critical win.

The last quarter is actually a ding-dong battle and, to be fair to Port, they were fielding their own fair share of highly promising youngsters (Drew, Rozee, Duursma, Butters). It’s just that ours were better on the night, as we saw Baker, Stack, Noah Balta and Jack Ross (on debut) all make valuable contributions.

In the end, Tom Lynch was the difference in what was probably the first game he won off his own boot in Tigers colours. Dylan Grimes was tremendous in the final quarter, taking four contested intercept marks to announce that he could comfortably fill The Rance Role. The performance earned Grimes the three Brownlow votes.

Was there. The final 10 minutes were pulsating.

 

[Baloo]

Can't disagree with that, especially #1. That 3rd Qtr is one for the ages.

 

[Tenacious]

Saw the first option and didn’t need to look further
Have watched and rewatched that qtr many times
It’s a great way to fill in a spare 30 mins - a few mins more to include the last bit of the 2nd and Diverfield’s flop (which at least reminds us that he was apparently playing in the 3rd)

 

[Disco]

I have replayed the PF 3rd quarter more than any other game.